The Department of National Defense said Thursday that it is
eyeing government-to-government transactions with South
Korea and Brazil
for the procurement of T-50 advanced jet trainers and Embraer EMB 314 Super
Tucano turboprop light attack aircraft.

In a phone patch interview with reporters, Defense Secretary
Voltaire Gazmin said that these aircraft are needed to protect Philippine
airspace.

The South Korean built T-50 is a supersonic trainer that can
also perform in the light-strike role. The Super Tucano is designed for light
attack, counter insurgency (COIN), close air support, aerial reconnaissance
missions.

Government-to-government, or G2G, transactions are
non-commercial interactions between two governments’ organizations,
departments, and authorities.

Gazmin made the disclosure amid criticisms from Bayan Muna
party list Rep. Teddy Casiño that the use of G2G transactions in the
acquisition of military equipment is prone to corruption due to lack of
bidding.

Also, Gazmin gave assurances that under the transparency
program of the Aquino administration, “all contracts and processes are open to
scrutiny by the people.” He said this transparency is being observed in the
bidding for similar assets.

“If you are going to go through a third party, there will be
commissions and the price will be higher. Now, in government to government
(deals), middle men are avoided and at the same time, government officials are
accountable in their dealings,” he said.

The DND is also looking to obtain ships and communication
equipment from either South Korea,
Italy, France, Great
Britain or Brazil. These acquisitions are also
to be carried out through G2G transactions.

29 Juni 2012

A degraded
forest in Sukhothai could serve as a staging ground for large-scale military
training drills, the Defence Ministry said.

Ministry
spokesman Thanathip Sawangsaeng said certain areas in Ban Dan Lan Hoi district,
where the 3rd Army's training camp is situated, could be used for the drills as
expansion of the military's training ground into those areas would have the
least impact on villagers.

Col
Thanathip was speaking after a meeting of the Defence Council, chaired by
Defence Minister and Air Chief Marshal Sukumpol Suwanatat.

The ministry
wants a larger ground for joint military training, especially drills for the
air force, which lacks an area for live ammunition training.

Some areas
in Ban Dan Lan Hoi district are also being eyed as a new training area for the
Singaporean military, a source said.

Singapore
has leased the training ground at Sai Yok army camp in Kanchanaburi, but needs
a larger area as it may need to use live ammunition.

Sikorsky S-70i for RBAF made by PZL Mielec Poland, a Sikorsky company (photo : Brunei Mindef)

POLAND - On
2 December 2011, the Ministry of Defence, Brunei Darussalam (MINDEF) signed a
contract with Sikorsky International Operations, Inc. for the delivery of twelve
(12) S-70i™ BLACK HAWK helicopters with spare parts, ground support equipment
and training package. To date, the project has achieved several major
milestones which include the completion of several design reviews and the
completion of several baseline aircraft built in PZL Mielec, Poland. PZL
Mielec, a Sikorsky company, which is a subsidiary of United Technologies Corp,
produces the S-70i™ baseline BLACK HAWK helicopter which is the latest
international variant of the UH-60M BLACK HAWK helicopter employed by the US
Army.

A team from
MINDEF recently conducted a site visit to the PZL Mielec facility in Poland to
witness the factory acceptance test for Brunei’s third baseline S-70i™ BLACK
HAWK helicopter. The first two baseline aircraft recently completed its factory
acceptance tests in Poland in April 2012. The first aircraft is scheduled to be
inducted to Sikorsky Military Completions Center (SMCC) in the United States on
October 2012 for the start of customization work to produce the uniquely
configured aircraft that meets the Royal Brunei Armed Forces requirements. The
delivery of the twelve (12) S-70i™ BLACK HAWK helicopters will replace the
current fleet of Bell 212 helicopters and enhance the Royal Brunei Air Force’s
rotary wing capabilities in air mobility, Search and Rescue (SAR) and enhance
surveillance of Brunei’s waters and borders. The delivery of these advanced new
aircrafts will also allow the Royal Brunei Armed Forces to further strengthen
its troop deployment capabilities in military and humanitarian and disaster
relief operations in the region.

The first
batch of the uniquely configured aircraft is expected to be delivered to Brunei
in early 2014.

28 Juni 2012

In 2012, the
929th Fighter Regiment (372 Division) has restored the operations of night flight
training after 3 years stopped.

929 Air
Force Regiment (372 Division) is an air defense fighter units responsible for
protecting the central sky country. Group 929 is equipped with interceptor
MiG-21bis variant training and two-seat MiG-21UM.

After 3
years suspension of night flight training, in 2012 the Air Defense Command -
Air Force assigned the 929th Regiment perform night flights back. This is a
difficult task, because the long stretch of time, and more of the regiment were
transferred to other jobs. However, in the spirit of the collective
determination of unit officers and soldiers, with help from the 371st Airborne
Division troops and units have been successfully organized aircraft recovery,
teacher training as the core unit of pilot training.

MiG-21 Vietnam Air Force (photo : ttvnol)

To make
night flying task force, technical personnel is a key factor in ensuring
success.

Preparatory
work should be undertaken early. The aircraft mechanic to prepare the location,
checking every detail of the aircraft safety. In this task, there is no general
concept for the task, all must be meticulous and precise detail.

Before each
flight the night, a MiG-21UM will evaluate meteorological for takeoff to the
preparation. When the city of Da Nang on the lights, it's time the MiG-21
flying wing of the 929th Regiment simultaneously wings into the sky.

27 Juni 2012

MANILA,
Philippines -– The Philippine Air Force (PAF) will get 25 more helicopters late
this year to augment its depleting air assets.

This was
announced during the Air Power Symposium 2012 held at the SMX Convention
Center, Mall of Asia in Pasay City on Friday as part of its preparation for the
forthcoming 65th PAF anniversary celebration on July 6.

This year’s
theme was “Mobilizing Air Power for the Nation’s Multi-Dimensional Challenges.”

De la Cruz
said four of the helicopters will be the last of the eight brand-new combat
utility Sokol choppers the Department of National Defense ordered from PZL Swidnik
of Poland.

The arrival
of the final four Sokol helicopters will boost the firepower of the PAF which
is in dire need of air assets, particularly fighter jets.

PZL Swidnik
is the largest helicopter manufacturer in Poland.

The Sokol
helicopter can carry 14 persons, including the pilot and co-pilot and has a
maximum speed of 260 kilometers per hour and a range of 745 kilometers
non-stop.

Each Sokol
is armed with a variety of weapons such as air-to-ground rockets, air-to-air
missiles, M-60 machine guns and 20mm cannons and climbs to an altitude of
19,680 feet.

The contract
price of the Sokol choppers was P3 billion.

On the other
hand, 21 refurbished UH-1H “Huey” helicopters will also be delivered in
December this year.

“Hueys” are
not only the workhorse of the military’s counter-insurgency operations in
ferrying troops to combat areas but are also used during disasters, carrying
food, water and medicines for victims stranded in remote areas.

Some of the
21 “Huey” helicopters were refurbished in the United States and the others were
done by PAF engineers and aircraft mechanics.

The
acquisition of new combat helicopters is part of the Modernization Program of
the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).

During the
day-long affair, De la Cruz said the symposium, which is an annual event of the
Air Force since 1982, except for some broken years, “is designed primarily to
discuss and promote the value of air power to a wider constituency.”

But for
2012, the forum was unique as it included the holding of “a 5-in-1 activity --
an academic forum, an air power symposium, a defense exhibit, a historical
photo display, and the first Youth LEAP or Youth Leader Exchange for Air Power
gathering.”

“We are
holding this event no longer to cater mainly to an internal audience or our
friends in aviation, but to a greater multi-sectoral representation of national
security stakeholders and partners.”

De la Cruz
stressed the importance of air power in the country’s defense.

“Today we
all live in a highly complex and unpredictable security environment, and that
the threats we face demand from us no easy solutions.”

26 Juni 2012

The
Australian Army’s fleet of Tiger Armed Reconnaissance Helicopters (ARH) has
been suspended from flying operations as a safety precaution.

The
suspension was put in place following the precautionary landing of a helicopter
at the Shoalwater Bay training area on 25 June after the aircraft’s two-man
crew detected fumes in the cockpit.

The aircraft
landed safely with no injuries to the crew or further damage to the aircraft.
Defence is presently investigating the cause of the fumes.

There are 22
ARH in the Australian Army’s Oakey and Darwin based fleet, 19 of which are in
the fully capable configuration operating in the fleet. The remaining three
aircraft are completing a retrofit program and should return to the fleet later
in the year. The Australian Army’s Tiger fleet is not yet in full operational
service.

The largest
single project to be cancelled in the budget – as opposed to deferred – were
Self-Propelled Howitzers (SPH) at a stated saving of $225 million. APDR has
been tracking this acquisition, designated LAND 17 Phase 1C, for years and has
smelt a rat for a long time. It has been clear that since at least 2008 that
Army and sections of the Defence bureaucracy did not like the outcome of their
competitive tender process and did everything in their power to avoid signing a
contract with the preferred bidder.

Even in
defending the announcement on Sky News, Stephen Smith continued a long
tradition of disinformation – some would say lies – about this matter. The
Minister explained:

“There were
issues with the self-propelled howitzer, including the type of ammunition that
we could use, but also it's 80 tonnes and it can't be moved other than by its
own propulsion.”

The first
and most absurd howler in this statement is the weight claim. The preferred
vehicle – the Raytheon Australia / Samsung Techwin AS/9 – comes in at just
under 50 tonnes. It is lighter than an M1A1 Main Battle Tank – of which
Australia has 59 – and can be moved by low loader, C-17 transport aircraft and
anything else that can shift an MBT. The Minister has either made up this
nonsense or he is simply parroting demonstrable rubbish produced by the
Department.

The second
matter he alludes to is ammunition compatibility. This seems to refer to a
Departmental internal study that has breathlessly concluded that ammunition for
an existing 39 calibre howitzer will not deliver adequate range when fired from
the AS/9. That is hardly a surprise because the AS/9 uses a longer 52 calibre
barrel and simply requires the ammunition to match. Again, either the Minister
or the Department seems to operate in isolation from inconvenient things called
facts.

In evidence
given to Senate Estimates, Chief of Army LT GEN David Morrison agreed with the
statement that the SPHs had been dropped because of financial cutbacks, saying
on May 29:

“I do not
believe that there is any need to prevaricate in answering. The simple answer
is yes.”

K-9 and K-10 (photo : Defense Industry Daily)

The General
then went on to explain that there were acceptable substitutes in the form of
the M-777 towed howitzer, currently being acquired from the US under a Foreign
Military Sales contract. The General alluded to changed circumstances but did
not explain in detail what they were. The true story is far murkier and does no
credit to Defence.

It is very
difficult to see what has changed since the process to acquire SPHs started in
2006 when this capability was deemed to be a vital element of the new doctrine
of Hardening and Networking the Army. What did change was Army’s thinking that
they wanted a tracked system rather than a wheeled solution, which had been
their original preference. After seeing a tracked, armoured Dutch PzH2000 based
at Tarin Kowt lobbying shells into the distance, the powers that be decided
they wanted one of those. Accordingly, the tender process was “tweaked” to
exclude anything other than tracked solutions.

But then
things went adrift. As APDR has amply reported on previous occasions, it seemed
that only the PzH 2000 would do. Once it became clear that the AS/9 was the
only product meeting Army’s own requirements, Defence slowed down the
acquisition to an extent that would have been comical if the matter was not so
serious. Process was added on to process, delay followed delay – all while the
Department continued to assert that everything was above board and in
accordance with Defence Capability Plan schedules. Defence itself has spent $11
million on this wasted process.

Rather like
a spoilt child in a toyshop, Defence only wanted one brand of ray gun or
tricycle and obstinately refused to accept any substitute. An AS/9 was brought
to Australia for firing trials at Port Wakefield, but to no avail. Local SMEs
contributed world-leading track technology and add-on armour. Prime contractor
Raytheon Australia demonstrated end-to-end functionality of firing the
Excalibur 155mm precision-guided round, produced by the company’s US parent.

None of
these things made the slightest bit of difference to the eventual outcome.
Defence has been prepared to drag out the process until eternity – waiting
until finally circumstances have enabled them to recommend to an obliging and
compliant Minister that he terminate the acquisition – to the eternal shame of
all those involved.

25 Juni 2012

VICE Adm.
Alexander Pama, Navy flag officer in command, on Sunday said the government has
allotted funds to buy the weapons to rearm the second Hamilton-class cutter
that was sold by the United States government without its weapons system.

Defense
Secretary Voltaire Gazmin and Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario, during
their recent visit to Washington, requested the US government to retain the
weapons system of the second cutter including the restoration of the same
weapons that were removed from the first cutter, but to no avail.

The stripped
weapons include missiles, search radar and close-in weapon system (CIWS), among
others. What the Americans left only in the ship was a 76mm gun.

This led
Gazmin to announce that the government is exploring defense articles from other
countries, including the idea of buying new jet fighters instead of buying
secondhand F-16s from the US.

“Well, we
cannot demand. We [can only] asked if it’s possible, we also understand that
they also have their regulations to follow and thus we’ve to make do with
what’s left and will optimize it. Anyway, the government gave us fund to buy
the needed weapons. Kaya nga ang actual na ibinayad natin dito sa pangalawang
Hamilton is a little bit more than what we paid for BRP Gregorio del Pilar,”
Pama said.

Pama said
included in the additional funding is money for weapons training of the ship’s
personnel.

The military
said it bought the first weaponless cutter (BRP Gregorio del Pilar) in 2011 for
P450 million.

The second,
that will be renamed BRP Ramon Alcaraz, is expected to arrive in the country on
or before November for its scheduled commissioning the following month.

“We added communication
equipment and some other equipment. We will see all these when the ship
arrives,” Pama said.

The two
high-endurance cutters were new additions in the inventory of the Navy’s mostly
World War II vintage ships. But just recently, the Navy showcased some of the
locally made fastcraft and medium-sized landing ships.

Pama added
that there is no negotiation yet for a third cutter but this is part of the
whole plan of getting at least three cutters with three helicopters.

The money
that is being used to modernize the Navy is part of the almost P12 billion
derived from the Malampaya gas project of the Department of Energy (DOE) and
leftover of the Armed Forces modernization fund that was earlier approved for
release by President Aquino to boost the naval and air capabilities of the
Armed Forces for maritime security patrol and operations.

And just
recently, Mr. Aquino has approved an initial P70 billion for the defense and
military to work out for capability upgrade.

Gazmin said
there are 138 modernization projects on board to be implemented over the next
five years.

“Our
department is now working speedily on the approval of the contracts for the 138
upgrade and modernization projects of our Armed Forces… The deadline that we
have set for ourselves for the approval of all these contracts is on July 21,
2012,” he said.

24 Juni 2012

Singapore Air Force has its own facilities at Kalaikonda air base in West Bengal (image : GoogleMaps)

Pay more for using military base: India
to Singapore

NEW DELHI - Arguing that
maintenance costs have gone up, India
has asked Singapore
to cough up more money for using its military base for the advanced training of
Singapore Air Force personnel. The two countries are racing against time to
complete negotiations for renewing the lease agreement on a long-term basis,
with Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong scheduled to arrive in India in the
second week of July.

“We have asked for more money as costs have really gone
up...We hope to reach an agreement with Singapore soon, as we hope it will be
signed during (Singapore) Prime Minister’s visit (to India),” said a senior
government official. Singapore
has given high priority to its military preparedness following its bitter split
from Malaysia
in 1965.

In October 2007, India,
for the first time, allowed a foreign country to station its troops and Defence
facilities on a long-term basis, which was a demonstration of India’s reliance on Singapore as an anchor for its
‘Look East’ policy. The agreement for the conduct of joint military training in
India between the IAF and
the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) was signed in Delhi, as part of the annual Defence Policy
Dialogue.

Incidentally, India
and Singapore
have also signed a similar agreement for Army training, but it will come up for
renewal next year. For Singapore,
which has an area of just 700 sq km, overseas training for its fighter pilots,
primarily flying F-16 fighter jets, is necessary in the absence of any suitable
open tracts of land and airspace.

“It has been a win-win situation for both sides. We get
upgraded facilities, while they get space to conduct their exercises,” said the
official.

In the past five years, Singapore
has set up its own facilities at Kalaikonda air base in West
Bengal, including residential block and stores.

Institute
of Defence was invited by
Marsun Shipbuilding and the Navy to participate in the keel laying ceremony of the
M36 boat for Naval fleet support at the Marsun Shipbuilding shipyard. Three M36
ships will be built by Marsun.

The mission is to support the operation of ships at sea
surveillance patrols to prevent infiltration, protection of fishing boats and
commercial vessels, prevention and protection of natural resources in the Gulf of Thailand
and AndamanSea. Law of the sea by naval authorities have been delegated to provide security and glory of the royal family.

The vessel has a Special Operations Unit, which can be
delivered in the Royal Navy. Container or nursing, which can be introduced in
hospitals and medical treatment to the ships for the victims. The concept of
shipbuilding in the style of boat used for staff who work on offshore oil
drilling. The new ship designs are used by the army is still preserved.
Official standard hull made ​​of aluminum and is active in the Coast Guard fleet, based
at Sattahip, Chonburi.

The purpose of this ship is at a low level threat protection
and rescue people from disaster. This ship is armed, has a boat dock with a 30
mm machine gun and two 0.50-inch machine gun platform and bomb. The missile can
be used if the mission is to find a high level of threat. The budget for the
third ship of about 553 million baht.

Marsun Shipbuilding Co. will deliver the ship to the Navy in
2013. Use of this ship by the Navy in the country is considered as promoting
self-reliance and sustainability and to express confidence in the quality
craftsmanship of the Thai people with the ability to develop to meet
international standards, thus the defense industry will continue to grow in a
sustainable manner.

23 Juni 2012

MANILA,
Philippines - The Philippines is planning to purchase a third warship and three
naval helicopters to bolster its maritime defense capabilities in a region
increasingly wary of China's looming presence.

The
Philippines currently has one warship in its possession, the BRP Gregorio del
Pilar. Another warship, the BRP Ramon Alcaraz, is expected to arrive in the
country later this year.

Apart from a
third warship, the Philippine Navy said it was planning to purchase three
"marinized" naval helicopters to complement its available warships.

No definite
date has been set, but Navy chief Vice Admiral Alexander Pama told reporters
Friday the plan is to buy these using funds generated from the Energy
department's Malampaya project.

Pama, in an
interview with reporters at the Air Power Symposium in Pasay City, said the
three will eventually be attached to the Hamilton-class cutters purchased from
the United States.

"Our
budget is set for three [helicopters] since domain awareness calls for
helicopters on board; that’s why in our program there are three helicopters
[for] three Hamilton Class [ships]. One is to one," Pama explained.

At the
moment, officials are busy preparing for the arrival of the second warship, BRP
Alcaraz. A 90-man crew from the Navy has been in Charleston, South Carolina
since April for training and repairing of the ship.

A large
majority of MPs remain opposed to the planned sale of surplus Leopard tanks to
Indonesia in a €200m deal, the NRC reports on Friday.

The cabinet
will now discuss the issue again, after MPs said during a debate they are not
convinced that Indonesian democracy and human rights have been 'vastly
improved', as claimed by foreign minister Uri Rosenthal.

'I have not
heard one human rights expert say that exporting weapons is responsible,'
GroenLinks MP Arjen El-Fassed is quoted as saying.

Ministers
agreed earlier to sell the tanks to the former Dutch colony and use the cash to
buy unmanned aircraft. The deal would also strengthen the relationship between
the two countries, ministers said earlier.

Even though
a majority of MPs oppose the deal, the cabinet can still decide to go ahead,
NRC correspondent Huib Modderkolk said.

'It would be
unusual but the cabinet has a lot riding on the deal going through,' he said.
'The defence ministry has to make cuts and can use the €200m.'

Perth –
Quickstep Holdings Limited (ASX Ticker: QHL), an Australian-based advanced
composites manufacturer, is pleased to
advise that it has secured a second Long Term Agreement (LTA) with
Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) to manufacture parts for the
international F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) program.

The LTA
covers production of “Group 2” JSF components until 2020, and follows the LTA
signed in February 2011 for Group 1 JSF components, for which manufacturing is
now underway. Group 2 parts represent more complex aircraft components,
including portions of the main F-35 structure and supports.

The first
Purchase Order for Group 2 parts is expected to be received in July 2012.

The signing of the LTA follows Quickstep’s successful
completion of a qualification
process to demonstrate production readiness for the manufacture of Group 2
parts.

Managing
Director of Quickstep, Mr Philippe Odouard, said the securing of a second LTA
with Northrop Grumman represented a further endorsement of the Company’s
aerospace manufacturing capabilities.

“Through our
production of Group 1 JSF parts, Quickstep has confirmed its ability to
successfully undertake advanced aerospace manufacturing contracts and feed into
Northrop Grumman’s international supply chain for the
F-35 project,” he said. “This expansion of Quickstep’s contracts to
include Group 2 parts will increase the number and variety of components the
Company will supply to the JSF program.”

Lockheed
Martin’s F-35 programme manager, Mr Tom
Burbage, recently congratulated Quickstep
on its work relating to the JSF program,
saying: “One of our most innovative and critical suppliers, Quickstep
Holdings, completed source inspection of their first F-35 production parts at
their Perth facility. To date, Quickstep has met – and in many cases
outperformed – all JSF delivery
deadlines. We don’t often get to recognize the excellent performance of our
global supply chain, but there are many companies worldwide working very hard
to make the F-35 successful. Thanks to
all of them and a special well done to Quickstep.”

The Group 2
LTA represents the second in a series of three agreements which will implement
the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that was signed in November 2009 with
F-35 prime contractor Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) and Northrop Grumman, one of
its principal F-35 subcontractors. Under the MOU, Quickstep will supply a number
of different JSF components, including
lower side skins, maintenance access panels, fuel tank covers, lower skins and
ammunitions doors.

Quickstep
expects to secure the third and final LTA to manufacture Group 3 JSF parts
later this year.

Philippe
Odouard said that Quickstep’s involvement in the JSF program has not been
impacted by reported delays to the program.

“We will
continue to communicate with Northrop Grumman and Lockheed Martin with regards
to future

purchase
programs, however at this stage we do
not anticipate any immediate impact on the ramp-up of our operations in
Australia,” Mr Odouard said.

MANILA,
Philippines – The eight brand new combat helicopters purchased by the
Philippine Air Force as part of its equipment upgrade will also be used for
search and rescue operations in times of calamities, its spokesperson said on
Wednesday.

Lieutenant
Colonel Miguel Okol told Radyo Inquirer 990AM that the PAF leadership has decided
to use the W-3A Sokol helicopters not only for combat but also for search and
rescue operations.

Four of the
eight helicopters were received by PAF last March from Polish manufacturer
PZL-Swidnik SA.

By the end
of the year, the brand new two-engine helicopters may be used for search and
rescue operations.

Okol said
they were also looking to acquire new fighter planes, radars and other
equipment to beef up their operations for territorial defense.

PAF will be
opening to the public its Fernando Airbase in Lipa, Batangas on July 6 as part
of its 65th founding anniversary.

Okol also
encouraged the public to attend their air power symposium on July 22 and
participate in a fun run with PAF officers on July 24 at the Venice Piazza in
McKinley Hill.

The PAF
spokesman said they would like to explain to the public how the upgrade of
equipment could benefit the country and its people.

BLOOMFIELD,
Conn.-- (NYSE:KAMN) Kaman Corporation confirmed today that The U.S. Department
of State has granted authorization that would permit the Company to negotiate a
possible sale of SH-2G(I) Super Seasprite Helicopters to the Government of New
Zealand. The potential sale would include eleven SH-2G(I) helicopters, a full
motion flight simulator, training aids, spares inventory, publications and the
introduction into service and through life support of the aircraft.

New Zealand
officials have been working over the past year to determine the most effective
way of meeting their future maritime helicopter requirements and the Cabinet
has recently directed defence officials to engage in further discussions with
Kaman.

The Kaman
SH-2G(I) Super Seasprite is the latest version of the multi-mission maritime
helicopter and would potentially replace the country’s existing fleet of
SH-2G’s. These helicopters would significantly enhance New Zealand’s vertical
lift capabilities with exceptional performance and low operating costs. Kaman
continues to support the Ministry’s objective of extending the Naval Helicopter
Capability through 2025. As stated in their Defence Capability Plan, this
capability would fulfill a vital national role in the provision of extended
reach, surveillance, and air-delivered weapons capability for the ANZAC
frigates. These aircraft are also capable of operation from offshore patrol
vessels, and the multi-role vessel when required to do so.

Negotiations
regarding a potential program between the New Zealand Government and Kaman are
in process and are confidential. No investment decisions have been made by New
Zealand at this time and Kaman continues to work with other potential customers
on the sale of the aircraft.